You might have considered hiring a professional to landscape your yard. Yet you can save money by doing the project yourself. It takes some learning but can be completed quickly and easily. Keep on reading to learn what you can do yourself for your yard.
Using local plants is always a good idea. When you are landscaping your garden, try to use shrubs, flowers and tress that are in your local neighborhood. These plant natives will grow well in your area even when soil quality drops or precipitation is low. They are used to these changes and will continue to flourish.
Sketching out what you would like your final landscaping job to look like is beneficial. This lets you visualize the space with the correct dimensions, thanks to your careful measurements, so you can estimate the materials needed and costs involved. It is much easier to make adjustments to the sketch of your landscape than it is your actual landscape itself.
Choose the higher quality items over the cheap stuff. You can find many inexpensive items in a home-improvement store. Consider visiting a specialty store in order to find great products sold by qualified employees. You may pay slightly more at these stores, but in the long run the products and help you get will be worth it.
Use a variety of plants in your landscape design. This will protect your landscaping from insects and invasive diseases. If plants of the same type are used, they may all perish in such an episode. Diversity is key when planning a landscape project.
A drip style irrigation system is a great addition for your yard. These irrigation systems are easy to install, and they allow you to give your plants a continuous stream of water. Drip style systems are advantageous as well because they actually conserve water. Sprinkler systems, in contrast, are water hogs and don’t distribute a steady flow of water to the roots of the plants.
Spending less is not always the right thing to do. Sometimes the quality of cheaper items is not worth the lower price tag because they break down more quickly. If you are a landscaping novice, a specialty store will cost more, but have the quality and advice that you need.
Depending on the item you can go ahead and purchase the cheapest one. When dealing with mulch, perennials and some other products, there’s no reason to buy the more pricey version. Remember that plants should be looked over well, However. They may have bugs, disease or other problems brought on by poor care.
Consider the structures that are already in place before modifying your landscape. Consider where sprinklers, cables and air conditioners are placed so landscaping doesn’t affect them. Call the city or county before you dig to make sure you do not damage any underground lines.
Ground Cover
Planting flowers in the shade often leads to disappointment. Rather then putting in flowers, think about putting in a ground cover. This is easy to maintain and adds a nice look to the yard. Anything like hosta and sweet woodruff make for excellent ground cover.
As you mow, let some of the grass clippings stay wherever they fell. As the clippings decompose, they provide your lawn with nutrients, which means that you can apply less fertilizer.
Incorporate rounded borders for your plant beds as you lay out your plan. Round shaped areas of your yard look more visually appealing than square borders. When people see your house from a distance, the curved lines will create a better look for your home.
Talk to a professional landscaper before you begin. Even if you will be doing the landscaping, talking to a pro is a wise idea. If you’re inexperienced, they could give you good advice which could prevent you from making costly mistakes. Even if you have some prior knowledge they can give you advice from another perspective.
If you’ve got a big shade tree in the yard, it won’t be easy to put flowers underneath. Rather than a fruitless effort with flowers, try using a ground cover. This type of plant is simple to take care of and almost impossible to kill. Consider hosta or sweet woodruff as ground covers for your trees.
Begin Designing
Now that you have read this article, you are ready to begin designing your yard. Give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve now found out how to reduce your costs and have more fun landscaping your yard. So, get outside and begin designing and creating your dream back yard.
Be sure to carefully estimate your costs when doing your own landscaping. Make a thorough list of every item you will need to complete the project. Next, figure out where you can get all of the materials. Remember, the costs of these items may differ quite a bit from area to area. Look into your options on where to purchase to get the best prices possible.